Best Coffee for Cold Brew | Ranked & Reviewed for 2023

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A good cold-brewed cup of coffee can be the perfect antidote to the hot summer days.

There’s no need to spend hours in the kitchen, boiling up a kettle of water and submerging your coffee grounds.

The best cold-brewed coffee is ready in a flash—just mix grounds with water, refrigerate for several hours or overnight, then strain and enjoy!

Without further ado, let’s find out what’s the best coffee for cold brew this year.

What Makes A Cold Brew Perfect?

There’s nothing more rewarding than a perfect cup of cold brew. And to ensure it’s smooth and flavorful every time, you need to keep some tips in mind. 

The first thing you need to check off your list is getting freshly ground and roasted coffee. Get it done right to make all the difference in this world. 

As roasted coffee beans get oxidized with time, they tend to lose flavor and become bitter. Whereas, whole coffee beans stay fresh a bit longer for around 2 to 3 weeks.

So, it’s best to get whole beans and grind them yourself with a coffee grinder. 

After the coffee is ground, it loses flavor pretty quickly. So try brewing it within thirty minutes after you grind it. 

This act might feel like a chore but it adds so much flavor to your favorite brew. You might not want to go back once you start doing it. 

The next important thing is the coffee-to-water ratio. The optimal ratio of coffee to water is about 1:15 to 1:17, or say 1 gram of coffee mixed with 15-17 ml of water.

You can tweak it according to how strong coffee you want. 

Since you will be making a concentrate for cold brew, you can keep the ratio between 1:4 to 1:7 and top it up with water to drink it. 

The third thing you should consider is how fine your coffee grind is.

For the immersion method, a coarse grind works best. In this method, you leave coffee in water for a long time of 12 to 24 hours.

The process will take less time if you use finely ground coffee but it might not get strained out completely.

For the slow drip method, you should use a medium or medium-fine grind. If the grind is coarse, the water won’t extract the flavor from the coffee as the contact time is less. 

And don’t forget- coffee is mostly normal water. That’s why what you choose matters.

If you don’t like the taste of your water source, you won’t enjoy your coffee either. 

Pro Tip 👉 Try using water with enough minerals instead of soft water to extract better flavors from ground coffee. 

Here’s my list of the best coffee for cold brew. If you think Starbucks has the best coffee for cold brew, you just haven’t made it to the right brand.

Your next favorite brand might be on this list, so give them a try!

What’s the Best Coffee for Cold Brew? 

1. Coffee Bros Cold Brew Blend Whole Bean

Coffee Bros was launched by 2 brothers – Dan and Nick Hunnewell in New York. Even though they started recently in 2019, they’ve already made a name for themselves as cold brew artisans. 

Pros of Coffee Bros Cold Brew

What Could Be Improved in Coffee Bros Cold Brew?

Coffee Bros only sell whole beans to retain their freshness and flavor. That means you can’t make your cup of coffee without a grinder. 

Cons of Coffee Bros Cold Brew

From my personal point of view, Coffee Bros Cold Brew has a strong smell and this is the only thing I didn’t like about it.

One more thing, Coffee Bros not only delivers high-quality coffee but they’re also cruelty-free and environmentally conscious.

You will feel good in more than one way when you take a sip of their coffee.

2. Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve

Stone Street Cold Brew Reserve was launched in New York. They’ve been around since 2009 and are known as one of the best coffee for cold brew.  

Pros of Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew

Cons of Stone Street

This brand has the best coffee grind for cold brew but they’re a bit on the pricey end. 

3. Koffee Kult Dark Roast

Koffee Kult was launched in 2010 by Jamie Mardis in the US.

For Mardis, roasting coffee was just a hobby that gradually expanded. Today, it’s one of the finest in the business.

Pros of Koffee Kult

Cons of Koffee Kult

Some people find the taste a little heavy. The acidity could be reduced in the coffee as well.

If the strong dark roast flavor is your thing, this is the coffee for you. 

4. Olde Brooklyn Coffee French Roast Whole Bean

Founded in New York, Olde Brooklyn Coffee French Roast sources their coffee from around the globe to offer you something to cherish. 

Pros of Brooklyn Coffee

Cons of Brooklyn Coffee

The brand sells whole beans and doesn’t offer an option for pre-ground coffee. 

By the way, you might not know this but this coffee has a unique flavor of its own, making it an excellent option for cold brew. 

5. Cold Brew Lab Coffee 

Cold Brew Lab Coffee was founded by Rachel Gutierrez in New York. Their coffee beans are specially roasted to craft the best coffee for cold brew. 

Pros of Cold Brew Lab

Cons of Cold Brew Lab

They offer a blend of medium and dark roast, which has a unique flavor, but some people prefer the option of either medium or dark for their cold brew. 

6. Wink Coffee Blonde Roast 

Wink Coffee Blond Roast was founded in Texas by Jason Rapaport and Michael Portman in 2020.

Their mission was to provide America with high-quality coffee beans at an affordable price. With Wink Coffee Blonde Roast, it looks like they’re on the right track.

Pros of Wink Coffee

Cons of Wink Coffee

Some people might find it a bit strong if they are expecting a lighter flavor and low acidity. 

The Wink Coffee Blonde Roast can be the best option for those who love a medium roast flavor. 

7. Lifeboost Organic Medium Roast

LifeBoost Coffee was founded by Charles Livingston, a chiropractor who wanted to provide a coffee brand that becomes a positive morning ritual for people across the US. 

Pros of Lifeboost

Cons of Lifeboost

The LifeBoost Organic Light Roast is somewhat pricey. However, its pureness is the reason why this brand makes its way into this list.

8. Tiny Footprint Coffee Organic Cold Press Elixir 

Tiny Footprint Coffee was set up in 2010. Their environmentally-conscious team partnered up with Mindo CloudForest Foundation to reduce their carbon footprint. 

Pros of Tiny Footprint

Cons of Tiny Footprint

Some people might find the flavor of their Cold Press Elixir too light. So, it may not be the best option for people who want their coffee to pack a punch. 

Tiny Footprint Coffee is the world’s first brand that’s dedicated to offsetting its carbon footprint.

This and their vibrant flavor make them one of the best options available in the market right now. 

9. Cold Buzz Coffee Hazelnut 

With a passion to brew non-acidic iced coffee, Eli and Ben launched Cold Buzz Coffee Hazelnut in the US.

They now offer high-quality coffee that people can make at home with ease. 

Pros of Cold Buzz

Cons of Cold Buzz

Cold Buzz Coffee Hazelnut is great for people who love flavored cold brew. But some might find the coffee light in intensity. 

The hazelnut flavor makes it stand out as well. It’s rich in quality and easy on your pocket – what’s there not to love? 

Final Thoughts on the Best Coffee for Cold Brew

The perfect cup of coffee is quite subjective. Everyone has different preferences. It’s not possible for all coffee lovers to reach a unanimous agreement on the best coffee for cold brew. 

However, your unique taste can be your guide to deciding the best one. If you love a dark roast, you can go for Stone Street Cold Brew Reserve or Koffee Kult. If the light roast is your thing, try Lifeboost Organic Light Roast.

For a blend of light and dark, try Tiny Footprint Coffee and Cold Brew Lab Coffee.

If you enjoy hints of other flavors like chocolate and berries, try Coffee Bros. And if you want to go all out on the flavor, try Cold Buzz Coffee Hazelnut.